Barriers
by Tensei Kano
Summary: My name is Tensei Kano. After re-reading my log entries about my adventure in Unova, I thought I would write about it for you guys. I can remember how it started though: With difficulty. After all, I didn't even speak English back then! (Pokemon Black 2, Rated T for safety)
1. New Neighborhood

_**Language Barriers**_

_Chapter 1: New neighborhood_

* * *

Quick T/N

Bold - Japanese

Unformatted - English

_Italics - Thoughts_

* * *

_SPRING_

I never really wanted to be in a new region.

I could only speak one language, after all. Japanese was always how I spoke, never English... I mean, understanding the language, no problem, provided I had the time to process the words and translate them in my head. I knew probably could speak some VERY basic sentences. Even then, though, my accent stood out of my voice, stemming the natural flow of words.

_But of course, where my mom goes, I go… I guess._

**"Tensei, come on!" **My mother poke her head up the stairs, only to spot me moping about.** "It's been two days, and this is the first day we don't have to unpack, why not go outside for a bit **and-"

**"Maybe I will... In a bit."** I cut her off, despondently. She looked at me, silently, then stepped back downstairs, her slippers causing the wooden stairs to echo resoundingly through the household. I bit my lip. She wanted to move for so long, I knew it. To rain on her high spirits would be a pretty dick move, admittedly, and the way I reacted filled me with guilt. At the same time, my selfish side flared up inside of me.

_Go outside? And do what? Sit on the grass until an insect bites me? Explore the town and not be able to speak to anyone? Yeah, great range of options here. _

My gaze drifted from the window to the black-blue belt that held miniature ball-holders on its right side. One holder was already filled with a bright red and white ball, with a button on the front: a Pokeball. I'm glad I could bring one friend with me... Since the rest weren't Pokemon.

I decided to walk about, maybe play with my Pokemon a bit too. It wasn't the ideal situation, but at least it could understand me, even if no one else could. I got up quickly and belted up, then slipped on my backpack. Best pack I could ask for - as much space as I could want, while still appearing slim.

**"Mom, I'm going out."** I called as I touched down at the bottom of the steps. I saw my mom's head peek out from the kitchen, then her face brightened.

**"Okay, be back before dinner."** She called back. I stifled a groan. Hanging with my Pokemon could only entertain me for so long, I'd likely return way before dinner. After all, it was only two in the afternoon.I stepped out into the sunshine and felt the cool winds of spring hit me - still much warmer than where I came from. I took a breath and stepped out into the concrete streets of Aspertia, my new home in the strange region of Unova.

* * *

I should tell you about myself, though, or you'd probably be wondering who the hell this Tensei guy is.

So, my name is Tensei Kano. I'm 15 now, and I'm a single child. I grew up in the Hoenn region, and it was awesome. I even went on a trip once, with my family, friends and their families, to tour all of Hoenn. It was my dream to grow old enough to tour the place for myself, with my Pokemon. But of course, things happened that I can't really write about here without throwing too much dirt on too many people's names. So instead, I could say that now, I lived here with my mom, in Unova. And today was the third day. For the first two, my mom and I had been unpacking our luggage, and now we were finally settled, as of the night before.

I stretched and looked around. The was a lot more lively and bustling than my old home town, Littleroot town. This really was a city, and there was even a gym here! It still held a kind of nice and rustic feel, as it wasn't too developed. I was sure people here called it a city, while people from the big cities called it a town. People of different shapes and sizes were running through it constantly, and there wasn't a street without a man or woman on it. Some were people my age, even.

But for now, I had only one companion to be with.

I took out the miniature ball and clicked the button once. Instantly, the ball blew up in size, from the size of a pinball to the size of a large baseball - big enough to fit in my whole hand.

**"Come on out, Vulpix."**

The ball opened up and. With a flash of white light, released my beloved Pokemon. It was a deep, comforting red, it's fur smooth as oil, yet warming as an open fire. It's six tails curled wonderfully, leaving a little dash of yellow at each end. The fox-like Pokemon's emerald eyes stared up at me, sparkling with glee and anticipation.

To those who haven't figured it out - and you should have by now - Vulpix was, in the English language, a Vulpix.

**"Miss me, buddy?"** I smiled. My foxy companion gave a little yip of happiness and nimbly climbed up my leg. Before I knew it, he was on my shoulder.** "Hey!" **I laughed. **"You're eager today." **

He nodded and leapt back down to the ground, lighter than any cat. I chuckled. Being stuck in a pokeball for two days was not exactly comfortably I supposed. Like being grounded, except worse.

Vulpix sniffed his surroundings, twitching his head back and forth as he observed his new home. If you've ever seen a fox or sharp dog look around, it's head movements are faster than anything; their necks almost seems spring-loaded.

**"So this is Aspertia city." **I gently stroked Vulpix's warm fur as he examined his surroundings. **"Like it?"**

He responded with a yip, and a little hop. I chuckled in relief. At least one of us was happy. Before i could voice my own opinion, however, a little girl's voice came forms the street bearing left, speaking English and making me turn my head.

"Woah... What Pokemon is that? It's so cool!"

The girl couldn't have been more than twelve, and had brown hair tied up with a ponytail. Her bright green eyes startled me - green eyes were rare in Hoenn, except maybe in Pokemon.

She proceeded to launch herself into a full conversation, not even bothering to think that I might not know the language. I'd never heard someone speak so fast, and Japanese was a fast language, so that was definitely saying something. "Hi, my name is Lily! You're new in the neighborhood right? It's nice to meet you! Where did you get that Pokemon though? I've never seen one like that! Did you-"

"Wait, wait, stop!" I was overwhelmed by the vigour and tenacity this girl possessed upon first greetings. Who was she? And what did she want? Maybe if I could decipher her cyclone of flowing language that almost blew me away, I might have the answer.

"Um... Sorry. My English is not very good." I managed to get out. She eyed me with fresh curiosity, not in the least put out. Surprisingly enough, her words flowed slower than when she first spoke, and I managed to pick up a couple of words."

"...What language do you speak?"

"Japan... For Hoenn."

"Woah! You're from Hoenn? Thats awesome! I once heard about the Hoenn region, its not too far from Sinnoh! Wow, it must be really cool coming from there, I'd imagine..." She was off again, on the same language, but she might as well have been speaking Czech Slovakian for all I understood. I felt a cold drop of sweat run down the right side of my forehead, when another voice interrupted the miniature, talkative girl before me.

"Oi, Lily! What are you doing?" A male voice, rougher than I was accustomed to, made us both look to the boy behind Lily. He was slightly taller than me, with a wild, black flame of a hairstyle. Like, really! I would have mistaken him for a Dragon Ball fan if his hair was gold! Heck, he might actually be one. He looked a little older than me; he could have been about sixteen or seventeen.

"Nothing, big brother!" Lily replied cheerily. "Just meeting the new neighbor." I could understand the majority of her words, now that her pace had slowed down. The girl!a brother turned to me and eyes me in a rather different way, appraisingly, as though scanning me, then smirked and held out his hand.

"Hey, my name is Hugh. Good to meet you and all." The boy named Hugh had more of a drawl to his voice, making my job of deciphering his words that little bit more difficult. "But my sister has a point. I've heard of these Pokemon... Vulpixes right?"

I didn't reply immediately, trying to get the words right before I said anything, when Lily whispered into her brothers ear in a not-so-secretive volume: "He's from the Hoenn region, he only speaks Japanese..."

The boy named Hugh nodded. I pointed at Vulpix and attempted to reply. "My Pokemon is from Hoenn. Name is Rokon*..."

"Rokon, huh?" He glanced at my Pokemon, which seemed to smile back. Vulpix was always friendly, even with strangers, after all. "Must be the Japanese name..."

"Hey, you can speak English!" Lily exclaimed, pouting.

"Only little..." I wanted to aid my unstable words with sign language, but I'd never learned it. "I can hear English, not speak it good..."

"Good enough for me!" Hugh laughed. "Come on, we should battle!"

"Battle?" I was taken aback by this offer. First day here, already a battle? I could try, I suppose... "Okay. One Pokemon."

"That's fine." He grinned, taking out a miniature Pokeball from his jean pocket and clicking the button. Immediately, it ballooned out to the size of a large orange.

"Okay, big brother, I'll be referee!" Lily giggled and stepped back. I didn't really know what she just said, but disregarded it.

**"Vulpix, ready?"** Vulpix gave a cheerful "Vul!" Then faced the opposing trainer, spreading its weight out and readying itself for an attack.

"I raised this Pokemon all the way from an egg!" Hugh proclaimed. "Go! Snivy!"

From his Pokeball burst forth a strange, leafy-green serpent, about as tall as my knee, and a small leaf hanging off of its tail. It had four short, tiny legs that it waves about fiercely, and a deep yellow eye. It cried out a sharp "Snive!" and tensed itself against my Pokemon.

"Ready..." Lily raised her slender hand upwards, counting down. "Seeeeet... GO!"

Thus my first battle in Unova had begun.

* * *

"Snivy, Tackle!"

**"Dodge it, Vulpix!"**

Before I knew how to react, the quadrupedal serpent darted forward, almost faster than me eye could see. Vulpix, however, was instantly alert, and simply hopped over the speeding serpent.

**"Good, scratch!"** I yelled instinctively. Vulpix obeyed and swiped his paw downwards, striking Snivy in the back of the neck and knocking it down. A critical!

"Keh..." Hugh grunted as Lily gasped in amazement. "Tough Pokemon, huh? But you won't beat me! Snivy, tackle again!"

The serpent was on its feet again, and darted forward again with incredible speed, this time aiming a little higher. Vulpix jumped instinctively, and was hit in the stomach as a result.

**"Vulpix!"** I shouted, reaching out to my downed Pokemon, but I couldn't help it. Rules of a basic pokemon battle: Never make contact with your pokemon unless you're applying an item of some sort. Contact could be grounds for interfering with the most basic battle rule in history: Never directly interfere with the battle between two pokemon.

But I needn't have worried. Vulpix got up itself, shook off the wound and glared back at the grass-type. A flame seemed to leap up in it's eyes, and Snivy looked, for the first time, a little less trigger-happy, almost wary. There was a new look in the serpent's eyes as well, something which made it wary, but not exactly afraid.

It was respect.

"**Vulpix, we should end this now." **I called out to my companion. It nodded, then opened it's mouth, in which a fire was building, and growing in intensity.

"**Vulpix, use Ember!"**

The flames shot out of it's mouth, directly at the fire-fearing Snivy. It froze for a moment like a deer in the headlights before the flames.

"Snivy!" Hugh cried out in fear of its pokemon's wellbeing, but it was no use. Faced by it's weakness, Snivy had fainted.

"...Woah…"

Lily had a hand to her mouth in amazement. Hugh had his face turned away as he returned his Pokemon to the Pokeball. Vulpix spat the remaining flames out of its mouth and came back to me, as though looking for approval.

"**Good job buddy. **Hey uh… Hugh… that battle was good. Your pokemon is strong!" I tried to cheer him up. After all, no one likes to lose a battle. "My pokemon was fire, so I had… uhh…" I mentally searched my short English lexicon to find the right word, until Lily beat me to it.

"An advantage?"

"Yes! But you did good!" I insisted to Hugh. His next reaction completely surprised me as he turned to me, his expression blank.

"Fighting with a trainer sure is different from wild pokemon, huh…? Well, whatever." He gave a smile and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "At least I know you're going to be a trainer I can count on!"

"Uh…count on?" Maybe my small grasp of English was failing me again. Count on me? What for? Hugh looked at me with another determined look.

"It's happening tomorrow. Tomorrow, I set off on my own journey."

My heart skipped a beat. A… journey? He didn't mean…

"I'm gonna go all over Unova, to search for my sister's lost Purrlion. But along the way, I'll finish the ultimate Pokemon adventure." With a flourish, he pulled out a metal case the size of an ID card and opened it up. Inside lay 8 empty spaces in very specific shapes, and on the other side was… _a trainer card…_

_He's going to beat the eight gyms…_

Every region had its own eight gyms, its own Elite Four… Its own Pokemon League.

The best of the best, the cream of the crop, and most importantly, the dream of every aspiring trainer out there: To beat the Elite Four, and the Pokemon Master of all the region.

"But of course, getting my sister's Pokemon comes first!" Hugh hastily patted his little sister's head, at which she shied away.

"Don't treat me like a little kid anymore! I'm already twelve!"

Hugh looked like he was about to respond when another voice came from what seemed like a very far away place…

"...out! Get out of the waaaaaaA-"

"Uh oh." Hugh's face paled as the girlish voice became louder and louder. I was about to ask what it was when the sound became louder and louder until I looked to my right and caught a glimpse of the source.

When I say a glimpse, I really mean a glimpse, because there wasn't enough time for a full look.

"I SAID GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

"ACK!"

The glimpse was of a white Pokeball T-shirt and the handlebars of a bike before a dizzying flash hit me. Severe impact and a whole beat of pure shock followed. I fell to the ground, blinded by pain.

"Ahhh...!" A female voice cried out. "Oh gosh..."

"Hey! Rosa, new guy, are you two alright?"

**"My shoulder... It hurts! What the hell was that...?!"** I wasn't in any mood to speak a different language at the moment.

"I'm so sorry! I was using my new bike, the brakes didn't work, I'm so sorry!" The apology came quickly, and again, coupled with the pain I was feeling, I couldn't translate. It was all gibberish in my head. I looked up at the girl, who seemed otherwise unharmed, other than being in some shock.

She must have been about my age, with striking blue eyes, now filled with worry, and was wearing a white cap. Her brown hair fell in two separate tails, and was long enough to reach the middle of her lower back. Pretty, in her own way, rather slender, and a tad shorter than me. Just a bit though.

"Keh... I'm okay..." I grunted, wincing as I pushed myself up with my left arm. "Are you okay too?"

"Nothing major, just a few cuts and bruises." She brushed herself off, then eyed me with a curiosity that mirrored Lily's. "You're the new guy? Nice to meet you. I'm Rosa, Maylene Rosa, but you can just call me Rosa for now!" She held her right hand out to shake, to which I clutched my right arm with my left.

"I... Cannot. Sorry... is hurt, I think..."

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I'll get you home, and we can ask your mom for help-"

"No." Hugh cut her off. She looked up, surprised at the interruption. "If you want to help, help me take Lily home, I'll get him home." He turned to me. "Sorry, I didn't catch your name." I misunderstood the last sentence, and he had to repeat it.

"Oh... Tensei. Tensei Kano..."

"Well, nice to meet you... And uh, sorry about that again..." Rosa gestured to the bike. Hugh soon led me away and sighed.

"That's Rosa for you... Always the centre of attention."

"Rosa... She live here long?"

"Yeah. Moved here when I was ten, and I don't think there's a person who doesn't know Rosa." He snorted. "Some people say she's got the looks, but her personality's messed up." I didn't really get all that, but he didn't look like he was in a mood to repeat the information. "She has the weirdest dream too."

"Dream..? Like a goal?" I clarified, curious again.

"Yeah… She wants to travel across Unova too, but not to beat the Pokemon League." He looked back, to make sure she was out of earshot, before he continued. "She says she wants to find her purpose, but I think she just wants to find a boyfriend."

I blinked. Maybe my English was failing me again? "...Um… I think I didn't understand correct…" Surprisingly enough, Hugh burst out laughing.

"Don't worry, I said that too, first time I found out - and I can speak English pretty damn well! But, who knows, she's a smart girl when she wants to be, maybe she'll become stronger."

I let my mind wander as my gaze followed a bird pokemon speeding past overhead. Different reasons, different personalities, all united by a common journey… Better than being stuck in one town for life, especially since with the barrier of communication blocking my way. If only I could go as well.

"Ah, here we are." Hugh stopped in front of my house. "Say hi to your mom for me, I'm gonna go back and scold Rosa…" He groaned. "...If she'll listen anyway. I'll see you." Hugh waved me off and walked back.

_If she'll listen anyway… I wonder if… mom will listen to me, if I say what I want…_

My mom wasn't a very disagreeable parent, she always wanted what was best for me… Well, most of the time. I wondered… If I were to go on a journey myself, would she mind? But then again… She'd just moved here. What would she say if her only son basically abandoned her?

Choices and consequences, pressure and decisions, panic and fear.

Meh.

* * *

"**You were only out there a couple of hours…"**

"**Hey, I told you, it's not my fault- ow!"**

Luckily, my arm was not much worse off - though my wrist did indeed sprain, it would be over and done with in a couple of days. No problem for my former Pokemon Centre Nurse of a mom, but still a bit of a hassle.

"**There. It should die down in about a day or two, but you have to keep the wrapping bandage on, got it?"**

"**Got it…"**

"**Come on, dinner's ready."**

The whole time, my mind wasn't on dinner, the house, or even my injury. My mind was racing at the thought of an adventure, and how I might begin one…

"**Tensei, your rice is getting cold… are you okay?" **My mom's words made me look up. I must have really been spacing out for her to notice… But really, could you blame me?

"**Mm… I met a few people today… speaking English is really difficult! But… I can get used to it over time."**

There was an odd silence as my mom looked at me with appraising eyes. I pretended not to notice and scooped more food into my mouth.

"**I'm sorry, Tensei…" **Her words made me look up in surprise. What met my eyes was a very sad expression that I hadn't seen in years. **"I know I was being selfish, moving here and not discussing with you first, but I was just-"**

"**Mom, it's okay, don't be like that." **I stopped her. **"We had to move anyway, I was just a little sour that we ended up moving to one that didn't speak Japanese like we do." **My mom was much more fluent in English than I was. **"But actually, I wanted to talk to you about that."**

She sat, waiting as I gathered my thoughts and breath. This was the moment to ask, I could feel it.

"**I have an idea that will let me become more fluent in English as well, and I want to, so that you won't have to worry about me." **Again, deep breath, second thoughts… I brushed it all aside and looked my smiling mother in the eyes.

"**I want to take the Pokemon Journey, in Unova."**

Frozen smile. Silence.

Deliberation began.

* * *

**T/N: So welcome to my new fanfic, Barriers! Stepping out of my comfort zone into a new story, but you know what, I started Pokemon Black with my friend Yuki recently, and we all know I love to write stories about what I play :D**

**The idea behind this fanfic is that I play the role of the second rival to Rosa. I thought having an out-of-region pokemon would make sense, and I love Vulpix anyway, it's pretty cool :D**

**Well, I'm fighting the Shadow Triad as I'm writing this, so I'll be off for now. Let me know what you think, if you have questions, roll with it, I'll answer to all reviews and questions every chapter. **

**Tensei out!**


	2. To be strong

***Musical Recommendation: Born a stranger (To the Moon OST)**

* * *

_Chapter 2: To be strong_

I loved the early silence of the morning, but this was early, even for me.

I opened up my Xtransceiver and checked the digital reading: 4:45am. That was a new record, wasn't it? Earliest I ever had was 5:30am.

_No use moping, let's get up._

I grabbed my clothes from my closet and headed quietly to my bathroom. That was one thing nice about this house, every bedroom had its own bathroom. And that may not sound like much, but our old house in Hoenn had one bathroom for everyone to use.

As I was freshening up for the day, my mind drifted back to my friends in Hoenn. My two main friends were Yuki and Haruka**, they really were the best two friends you could ask for. Not to say they didn't have their faults. Yuki could be arrogant, and he also acted as if he was a true know-it-all. In reality, Haruka was probably more knowledgeable than him, in almost every aspect, which resulted in some bickering between the pair. Underneath it all, I'm sure they liked each other anyway though.

Haruka's downsides were ones that most girls tended to possess anyway: Taking too long to put on make-up and reacting very hard to emotional events. When her Pokemon, a Torchic, fainted for the first time, she burst into tears and ran off before I could say another word. It took a couple hours for the Pokemon Centre's nurse to calm her down and insist that her Torchic was okay. That kind of event was rare though, after she learned that her pokemon was still young and weak, and would probably faint often in battle, unless taken care of properly.

Just as I was thinking about her, my Xtransceiver trilled gently on my left arm - silent mode. Who would call at six in the morning? I checked the readout: Haruka?

Well that was convenient timing. I quickly navigated back to my room in the darkness, careful not to turn on any lights, as it might leak into my mom's bedroom. It wouldn't do to wake her up before eight. Once I was there, I shut the door behind me and answered the call.

"**Tensei, is that you?" **My childhood friend asked. She wasn't crying, but she sounded and looked like she had been. Her straight hair fell long and untied, and her usual bandana was nowhere to be found.

"**Of course I am. Even Hokusai*** couldn't paint a face this perfect." **I smirked. Hey, she looked like she needed cheering up. Her blue eyes held hints of red from dried tears.

"**Oh, ha ha." **She deadpanned, before spotting the dark window behind me. **"What time is it there? I forgot the time difference."**

"**It's six in the morning…"**

"**What?! It's four in the afternoon here!"  
"I told you, the time difference is about fourteen hours…" **I sighed. So much for hoping she'd remember. **"Doesn't matter, I was already awake."**

The Xtransceiver trilled again, and a notification popped up.

**YUKI would like to join the call!**

**Accept Decline On hold**

I touched the accept button with my right hand, and soon, a third face popped up, every bit as familiar as the first, though with eyes much less bloodshot.

"**Yo, Ten. How're you holding up? All okay in the land of the foreigners? No, scratch that question, here's a better one: What the hell are you doing up at six in the morning?"**

"**Glad to see one of you remembered the time differences." **I winked at Haruka, who groaned, but couldn't help smiling. **"Got a lot on my mind. Couldn't get to sleep. But who knows, in a couple of days, I might not be here anymore…"**

I explained the previous days events, the decision I made, and the mix of nervous excitement coursing through me. It was a mark of our friendship that they listened the whole way through, without once interrupting.

"**...and who knows where I could go from there. But it'll be fun."**

There was a kind of silence as they processed the fact that I would be going through the Pokemon journey anyway, albeit in a different region from the won I initially wanted to.

"**Well, that answers your worries, Haru." **Yuki raised an eyebrow and a corner of his mouth. **"Ten's doing more than fine, he found his own way to cope." **He turned to me before Haruka could respond. **"She's been crying almost nonstop since you left, worrying over you."**

"**Y-YUKI! You said you wouldn't say that!" **Haruka's face was flushing as red as her eyes had been. Yuki, on the other hand, laughed.

"**Oh, did I? My bad." **His tone suggested a convenient lack of remorse as he looked over his shoulder, out his window, and turned back, still grinning. **"Well, I'm out before Haru murders me. I'll see you around, man." **With his signature wave, he shut off, leaving Haruka to stare, mortified, at the screen.

"**It's fine, Haru. I miss you guys too." **I half-smiled. I'd hid it from my mom and from my new friends, but I missed Hoenn terribly. I wanted nothing more than to go back, be with my friends, and take the Pokemon Journey with them. We'd have made an awesome team, as Yuki put it. **"There's nothing to be ashamed of, I did my fair share of tearing up." **And I did, on the day our van moved out of Littleroot Town. Though, I hadn't done since then, admittedly, and certainly not as much as Haruka seemed to have done.

"**I know. I miss you, Tensei. And I definitely wish you all the best with the journey. I'm just surprised your mom agreed."**

I opened my mouth, then closed it, before replying quietly, **"Yeah. She's great, isn't she?"** Even as she nodded back, I felt guilty, both of what I said to my mother, and to the fact that I lied to Haruka.

"**Well, I'm going to go too, so good luck, Tensei!"** She waved off, and I shut off the Xtransceiver. The sun was about to come up in a little bit, and the horizon was just lighting up. It would probably be best for my mom to wake up without me for now, and I'd come back later. I went downstairs and slipped on my shoes, quietly opening the front door, slipping out into the cool morning air. I found a nice, comfortable spot on the pavement and sat down, leaning against the brick building behind me.

_Somethings really are better left unsaid._ The previous night's events echoed in my head.

* * *

"**You can't go, it's too dangerous!"**

"**Oh come on. You were the one saying before that you would let me go. And Haruka and Brandon were planning to go. You're telling me I'm less able than they are?"**

Clearly, my mom did not want me to leave. It was a fiercer reaction than I expected, but I saw no reason to back down. After all, logic would trump emotion, if played correctly.

"**This is different. We just moved in here, this is a new region!" **She shook her head angrily.

"**What difference does that make?"** I countered. **"The Unova region is every bit as safe as Hoenn was, whether that's very safe or not, and you were willing to let me go on the Hoenn one. Where's your reasoning?"**

"**I've already said my piece," **She insisted stubbornly. **"and you're not going."**

Something within me snapped. She was using her authority, not her common sense, to get me to stay. I stood up, glaring directly at her.

"**Oh, I'm not going am I? This is something that will help me get settled better than anything, because I'll have a better understanding of the place I've just moved to."**

"**That's not-"**

"**It will also help me with English," **I pressed on, not letting her speak. Where had this authority, this willingness to stand against my mother, come from? **"If you're so sorry that we had to move here without my consent, then this is the perfect way to rectify that."**

She'd stared at me, a mix of hurt and defiance in her eyes. I'd never spoken to her this way, but she was being plain silly. It was time to put an end to this.

"**I'm going to go." **I knew two meanings could be imposed by this. **"If you think of a good reason, a REAL reason I shouldn't do this, tell me in the morning."**

With that, I quietly left the room, leaving her in shock. Who could blame her? In Littleroot town, I was probably the most passive of all children there. I literally let Haruka drag me around, and that's how I met Yuki. Maybe it was years of hanging with those hyper, confident, strong teens that gave me this willpower. Who knows?

I did not sleep with an easy conscience, believe me.

* * *

I shook myself out of my thoughts and sighed. Yuki often said I lacked guts. I remember meeting Yuki when I was seven years old. At the time, I never stood up to anyone, and I never felt I had the right, authority or power to voice my opinions. In fact, I remembered Yuki being a bit of a bully at first, till he grew out of it. The reality was, there was no other word to describe him - _cool. _Well, another might be arrogant. Haruka would have said asshole, but everyone has their own opinion.

Over the years, I must have grown out of my passiveness. I'd not really had a chance to show it, but I'd become less quiet, more of what I liked to think of as the true me. Even as a child, I was wary and scared of everything.

I remember, back in Hoenn, I was maybe something like seven years old, and this travelling merchant came over to Littleroot town, and he came over to me with a little perfume bottle. He attached a narrow nozzle to the bottle and came over, and moved the thing towards my head! I was so scared, I kicked the man and ran away. I didn't know who he was but I wasn't about to let a strange man stick a needle into my head and inject me with unknown liquid! Of course, Haruka couldn't stop laughing, but managed to stop her tears of laughter long enough to tell me that the man was just going to spray my hair with it to show me how it worked.

Children have active imaginations huh?

My stomach clenched as I unsuccessfully tried to pull my thoughts away from Hoenn. Damn, I missed the place already. It was so much quieter - part of the reason I liked the early morning here - with less people. When there were few people in a village, every person was practically your friend. You didn't have many people to get along with, so you had to get along with those who _were _there. Here, one person was just another familiar face. And even maybe not so familiar.

"...What are you doing up so early?"

I looked up in surprise - I didn't expect anyone else to be up so early - and saw the girl from yesterday, with twin tails and pokeball T-shirt, this time purple.

"...Rosa, right?" I stood up from my seat on the sidewalk. She nodded happily. "I was… had thoughts. Did not sleep well."

"Huh. Hope it doesn't affect you too much." She glanced at my bandaged wrist. "Is your hand alright?"

"Ah, it's okay. It will heal." I shrugged it off. After all, I didn't want her guilt tripping - that was what Haruka probably would have done.

"Right. I had an early night last night, so I couldn't sleep in." She explained. "One of these days, I'm going to be headed off you know."

"I know… Hugh told me." She looked at me in surprise as I said these words. "He said… You will go through Pokemon Journey. He will also go, find Lily's Pokemon, right?" It was a long sentence, and I was definitely not used to speaking those, in this language. She stared at me for a moment before smiling.

"Yeah. It'll be awesome. Just imagine who or what could be out there, waiting for me." The horizon was just turning light blue now, and she stared off into it, likely seeing grand visions from her imagination.

"...Your parents are okay that you are going?"

"Of course!" She turned to me quickly, as though shocked at the thought that her parents might not be. "Why wouldn't they be? They're open minded people, not like some conceited ones out there. They're…" She continued on about her parents, but I couldn't really understand it all. Some of these words were alien to me, and I couldn't make them out.

"Oh…" I smiled, pretending to have understood. She turned and looked at me as though she realized how much I'd really understood.

"You don't have to pretend to understand, if you don't. I just talk really quickly when I get excited… Which is all the time." She added as an afterthought.

"Uh… Okay." You could say I was being kind of quiet again, but really, how do you expect me to react?

"You know, I'd like to help you learn English, if that's what helps you, but I'm leaving. Hardly the ideal way to give you lessons." She mused thoughtfully. I looked up in surprise at such a random thought, but before I could reply, she looked up as though a stroke of inspiration hit her. Without another word, she ran off to the end of the street before I could even open my mouth, then slipped into the house at the corner of it.

"Um… okay?" I wished I had my Vulpix out to witness how ridiculous that was, but if you know anything about Pokemon, you know that you _do not_ wake them up before they are ready, if you value your life.

At any rate, it seemed there was no need to wait so long. Rosa had already come back out of the house, holding a small, square object in her hand. She ran towards me at top pace, slightly out of breath. "Here we go. I got this yesterday as a late birthday present, but I haven't even finished using my last one. You can have it."

"Oh! I couldn't… ask something of someone I just met." I hastily tried to pass it off, but she pressed the book into my hands.

"The alternative is that this sits in the back of my shelf for another year or so." She insisted firmly. "Take it."

"In that case… thank you." I took the book gratefully, then stared at it. "It's… empty?"

She burst out laughing. "That's the point! It's meant to be a notebook, and I use these as my diaries, but it can be used for anything. I think, if you use it right and write in it often, whatever you like to write, it can help." She gave me a thumbs up. "Think of it as a welcoming gift, and apology for yesterday!"

"I see… Thank you." I scratched my head discreetly. Why was this girl helping a person she'd just met? If our genders were swapped, I'd suspect infatuation. As it was, and judging from what I'd heard about her, she was probably being her hyper, slightly cavelier self.

"Well, I'm going to go in for breakfast. It's about time for my mom to wake up." Rosa remarked. I frowned. She didn't have a watch or Xtransceiver on her wrist, how did she know what time it was? I pointed this out, to which she laughed and gestured at my wrist.

My Xtransceiver's screen glowed gently with a digital readout: 7:30am. By the time I looked up, Rosa had already ran off, waving rapidly as she sped off down the street. She stumbled at the end of the pavement, almost going headfirst into her door, before pinwheeling and rebalancing on the spot. Acting as though I hadn't seen it, she straightened up and slid into the building.

_That was slightly less-than-impressive._

Still, I had to smile. The girl clearly had her own way of thinking of things, and was much more quick witted than she liked to give away, and probably very strong-willed, to make the decision of the Pokemon Journey herself. The main difference was that her parents were clearly more understanding.

_On another note, she's probably right. Time to head in for now… and see if my mom can be just as understanding._

* * *

There was a sort of cold silence as my mother's voice told me to come to the kitchen for a talk. I didn't answer, but I did get up from my seat and walk over, my footsteps muffled by the carpeted floor.

"**Yes?"** I raised an eyebrow as she beckoned me closer and bowed her head.

"**I just wanted to say… that you were right."**

...Huh?

Okay, hold up a second, I have to tell you something about my mom: she usually gets what she wants. For her to back down from anything, to give any ground in an argument, was almost unheard of, partially where my shyness came from, I'm sure.

"**You were right." **She admitted, sighing a little. **"I was too rash to say no, and really, there is no reason for you not to leave on this journey. It would be great experience for you, and when you came back, I would be settled, you would be comfortable, and we would be happy."**

There was an air about her of having forced to admit something she didn't want to, and I was sure she didn't really want me to go. She looked up with a bitter smile. **"You know what convinced me? I had the same argument with my father, twenty two years ago. He wouldn't let me go, but I told him I didn't care what he thought. I would go, whether he thought it was dangerous or not." **With a cough, I saw hints of the past in her eyes. **"I guess I finally understand what he was talking about."**

My mother never talked much about her family, so I didn't quite know how to respond. She moved forward and clasped my hand.

"**But please promise your mother, call back often, and let me know if you're ever in trouble. I'll miss you terribly, but this will help you grow, help you to be strong. Stronger than I ever was."**

I smiled, and I felt a hot tear bubble beneath my eye. I didn't want to cry, but couldn't help it.

"**Thank you, mom."** I hugged her hard, caught up in emotion. It was a moment that I felt pride for having made my own life decision for once, roaring in my chest.

"**So when will you be leaving?" **She looked at me in anticipation, a sign that I was holding the ropes now.

I smiled and looked out the kitchen window. **"Soon. I'll check with my friends."**

"**Friends?"**

"**Yes… Friends."**

* * *

*Musical recommendation is something I've wanted to do from the beginning of my fanfiction life. If you find these songs/tracks on youtube, it will make a great accompaniment to the chapter. You don't have to follow each one, but it may help.

**Yuki was Brendan's Japanese name, and Haruka was May's. (May and Brendan from Hoenn)

***Hokusai was a very skilled painter in Japanese culture, and he painted the Great Wave Painting, a symbolic Japanese painting. Search it up, you should recognise it.

**T/N: And cut! That's a wrap.**

**To be honest, I didn't like this chapter as much, I want to get the adventure under way soon. But that'll be next chapter, trust me.**

**I hope you're enjoying the concept of this. The title of this is called Barriers for a reason (actually, 3 reasons), but that will be revealed at the end of the story, what the barriers were.**

**Review reply time!**

**Guest - Thank you! I'm glad to see you enjoy it, stick around for more, and I do take reviews and ideas into account!**

**Y-ko - Sorry to see you feel the need to point me out, but that's where you're wrong. I am actually part-japanese, which is why I'm fully aware how the culture works. So please save your mislabeling and flaming for another pitiful soul, seeing as you are one.**

**If you want to know anything about how the world works in this story, or hints of the future, please leave me a PM or a review! Unless it's a flame of insult, in which case I can be pretty harsh towards those.**

**One final note: This pokemon world works on strength and common sense. There are no "levels" or "health". There may be a few who work out some values, but otherwise, no real "numbers" in each pokemon. After all, they're creatures, not data.**

**Tensei out!**


	3. Humble Beginnings

_**Chapter 3 - Humble beginnings**_

_**Musical recommendation (for fight scenes): Sword Art Online OST - Fight!**_

After breakfast, I was ecstatic at my mom's decision and trust. I would have been uneasy during the journey if I didn't have her true consent, and having it was a great bolster. All that mattered now was that I left at the same time with my newfound friends.

The morning, though now much brighter was still cool and refreshing. Our neighbours were already up and about, walking about the city without much care.

"Hello, Tensei!"

I turned around and saw Lily come running again. "Did you hear?" She began without any sort of preamble. "Rosa is getting her first Pokemon today!"

"Ah... That's good! Where...?" I was looking forward to see what Pokemon she had picked.

"Hugh went with her, they're at the Aspertia hill! You can follow, if you like!" She gestured excitedly, I nodded and kept at her pace as she skipped down the road.

Honestly, I didn't even know what other Pokemon there were in this region - the only experience I had of Pokemon was the Snivy that Hugh owned, and a strange rodent Pokemon with hypnotising eyes that my mother told me was named Patrat. The pronunciation of that one was difficult for me.

We climbed the steps, and I heard scuffling, raised voices and Pokemon cries. It could only mean one thing: a Pokemon battle!

"Snivy, leer!"

"Oshawott, tackle!

Rosa had picked a white-headed Pokemon with freckles, looking distinctly like a small baby, with a blue lower body and a small shell attached to its belly. I could guess why she picked this one...

"One last tackle, Oshawott!" Ross commanded. Her Pokemon threw itself into one last assault, striking Hugh's Pokemon head on. It flew backwards and relaxed its eyes in a faint as it hit the ground.

"Snivy!" Hugh cursed in worry. There was no response, and he sighed, returning it to a Pokeball with a flash of red light.

"Woohoo! I won my first ever battle!" Ross cheered, her twin tails flying upwards as she jumped for joy, then spotted me spectating. "Tensei! Did you see my new pokemon? It's sooo cute!" She stressed her point by picking her water pokemon up for me to see, and confirming my suspicions of why she chose this one.

I almost felt sorry for Hugh. "I've been on a losing streak, of late." He grimaced.

"...losing streak?" Hadn't heard that one before.

"It means he hasn't won any battles lately." She gave a sweet smile in contrast to Hugh's reaction. I nodded and half-smiled at her utter lack of care for Hugh's pride… But then again, they had known each other for a long time. Who knew? Maybe they were used to it. I slipped my notebook out of my pocket and jotted down the new phrase.

_Losing streak - __**Several straight losses, and something I hope never happens to me!**_

"Hey!" Hugh yelled incredulously. "Are you chronicling my failure?!" It was half a joke, half pure indignance.

"...Kron-i-kle…" I kept writing. "How do you spell that?"

"OI! WHAT IS THIS?!" Hugh ranted, as Rosa giggled.

"Good to see you're already at it." She smiled radiantly, then turned to Hugh with a teasing smile "Give us a minute, we're planning a book one day, it's gonna be called "Hugh's one-hundred-and-one failed battles!'"

"... I hate you."

"Love you too!" She sang cheerily. "Oh wait… Tensei! Wanna battle?"

"Battle? With Rokon…?" I tapped my pokeball and thought it through. "Sure!"

"I'm referee!" Lily's hand shot into the air, like a well practised habit. No one spoke up against her, and she took her position.

"**Vulpix, come on out."** With a flash of red, Vulpix was out of the pokeball, ready to fight.

"...Rosa…" Hugh rolled his eyes. "You can't be this stupid, can you?"

"Hey, who's stupid? You were the one that lost!" She threw back at him, clearly stung.

"Yeah, but you're the one who's gonna lose if you don't heal up your pokemon."

"Shoot!" Her hand flew to her forehead, and she rushed forward to apply a potion to her pokemon.

_...Did she really beat Hugh?_

"Ready…GO!" Lily excitedly declared the opening of our match. At the same instant, both Rosa and I issued commands at the same time.

"Oshawott, Tackle!"

"**Vulpix, Tail Whip!"**

Vulpix managed to get its move in first, and Oshawott's defences noticeably dropped. In return, it threw itself into a tackle and managed to hit Vulpix full in the front. Clouds of dirt rose as Vulpix didn't even lose balance - it dug its feet into the ground and steadied itself, ready for the next command.

"Don't let up, Oshawott!" Rosa commanded. I saw her pokemon get ready again.

"**Vulpix, jump and Ember!**

The opposing water pokemon threw itself at Vulpix again, in another attack. Vulpix used its feet and skipped lightly over it, a flare building in its mouth. As Oshawott passed underneath, Vulpix let forth a fiery breath, consuming Oshawott for a split second before it broke out of the other side of the flames.

"Hah!" Rosa smirked. "That fire attack won't do much against my water type."

"That is not completely true." I smiled, confidence building. "Look."

"...?! Oshawott?!"

The white-headed otter gripped its arm and winced in pain. It was burned. "Type advantage does not always win, Rosa!" Inside, I felt great pride in subduing a pokemon that had the type advantage.

"**Vulpix, finish it!" **Vulpix bounded forward and scratched at Oshawott, who blocked it with its… seashell? In its hand, it gripped a small, hard seashell that was hard enough to block Vulpix's claws.

"That's the spirit, don't give up, Oshawott!" Rosa commanded, her face no longer smiling. Her pokemon used the shell to throw dirt into Vulpix's eyes, then tackled it through the clouds of dust. Vulpix flew backwards, into the earth.

"**Vulpix!" **I cried out in worry. **"This… Vulpix, I'll guide you, keep going!"**

Vulpix got up again, pawing at it's face, but unable to clear the dirt out of its eyes. Oshawott capitalized on Vulpix's confusion, leaping forward with the shell held aloft.

"**Dodge left, then attack right!" **Vulpix moved as swiftly as though he had all his vision, sidestepping the Oshawott's attack, then uppercutting it with a strong right paw. Oshawott flew back into the dirt, wincing all the while. As it lay in the dust, Rosa looked unsure what to do.

"Oshawott… can you stand?" She whispered. The pokemon tried, it really did, but ultimately, it collapsed in the dust.

Lily took initiative and cheered loudly. "Oshawott is knocked out in an amaaaazing come back! The winner is Tensei!"

"**Good job, buddy!" **Vulpix looked at me, it's eyes still closed. I bent down and wiped its face and eyes gently, and they opened up, green eyes of happiness and pride. **"You did it!"**

"So… this is a real pokemon trainer, huh?" Rosa smiled, returning Oshawott to a bright red pokeball. "Thank you, Tensei! That was really amazing."

"Forget amazing, what the hell was that?" Hugh burst out, and I almost dropped the pokeball in my hand. "You managed to tell Vulpix what to do when he couldn't see!"

"Oh… It's normal. Rokon and I know each other for a long time. I think… six years now? So we are close." I returned my beloved pokemon to its pokeball. "I need to heal at pokemon centre now."

"Hold it!"

A new voice entered the scene, and our heads twisted in unison to the top of the stairs; our pokemon battle had taken place on the landing.

A blonde woman with a large, green hat and orange-rimmed glasses came over. "That was really impressive, especially when the little ones aren't so strong yet, that was fantastic!" She seemed very excited considering this woman hadn't done any battling herself. "I can see you will all grow strong over time, which is great!"

"Oh, Bianca!" Rosa looked as though she had a sudden stroke of inspiration, then grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me forward. "You said Pokedex distribution was a lot easier now right? Give one to Tensei; he's going on the journey too!"

_Huh?!_

"W-wait, I won't ask something of someone so quickly-" I started, but the woman named Bianca smiled.

"That's a great idea, the more the merrier!"

"R-really?" I gasped. I didn't need to have lived in Unova to know what the Pokedex was. A high-tech device that recorded all kinds of information about Pokemon, simply by scanning the one in front of it. Amazing technology really. Each region had one specific to their region; only the best of the best, those who had beaten the Pokemon League, would be allowed to carry an international Pokedex.

"Of course! Here you go." Bianca nodded and pulled a red device out of her bag. It was relatively small, but looked sleek and well designed.

"T-thank you so much, Bianca!" It was still odd trying to he used to saying people's name without suffix, but I supposed I could get used to it.

Rosa was first to break the silence. "Okay! So I'm going to start my journey today, which will be fine, because we have a gym, right here in our own little Aspertia city! But first, I'm planning to train my Pokemon. After all," she placed a hand on my head, none too lightly, despite me being the taller one, "I owe Tensei a beating!"

"Rosa..." Hugh sighed. "You never change..."

"Guilty!" She cheered, then ran down the hill, calling behind her shoulder as she went. "Wait for me at route 21! We have to take the first step togetherrrr...!"

She was soon out of earshot and sight.

"Why do we have to wait?!" Hugh complained. "It's so childish!"

"Aww, come on, brother, you know Rosa's always like that." Lily giggled, having been thoroughly entertained by the scene before her.

A different giggle from behind us all made me turn. "I think waiting for her isn't a bad idea." Bianca had a little smile on her face that made her look much you get than he originally did. "It'll bring memories someday. One day, a couple of years down the road, you'll remember this, and probably thank Rosa that you took the first step."

"And speaking of a couple years," Bianca added with a soft smile, "watching you three brings back some great memories from when I did my journey, two years ago."

"Oh, you went with two friends as well?" I asked politely.

"Yes, I did. Coming to that, you'll meet one of them soon." She winked, then swept past us. "Well, things to do, places to go. I'll see you soon!"

One of them? Did one of them live here?

"I'll be waiting at the entrance to route 19, alright? You should go home and pack up, we've got a long journey ahead." Hugh's slapped my back and stepped down the stairs, careful not to trip, until Lily gave a mischievous giggle and jumped on his back, causing the pair to tumble down less-than-gracefully.

_People in Unova are weird…_

"**Bye mom! I'll be back in a couple of days, I hear there's a town nearby!"** I called.

"**Oh, I'm sure you 'heard' about it, and didn't 'read' about it, right?" **My mom was as sarcastic as ever. "**It's not like I gave you a map of Unova or anything…"**

I laughed aloud, partially in good humour, partially in the knowledge that this was the beginning of my first journey. "See you in a while!" I grinned, purposely calling back in English. Just like that, I was off, running out the door, speeding along the tarmac roads. Several heads turned at the speeding boy that was me. I couldn't help myself.

In what seemed like no time at all, I passed the gate of Route 19 and stepped out, feeling the springy grass under my shoes. It was pleasantly cool - one of the reasons I loved spring so much - and pink cherry blossom petals were blowing off from the high hills. I spotted Hugh and Rosa, waiting up for me and coming dangerously close to what seemed like a civil conversation, till Rosa spotted me.

"Hey!" Rosa cheered, as Hugh sighed in relief behind her. "We were just about to set off without you!"

"...Ow."

"Okay, let's take our first steps out, and then we can go off at our own pace, got it?" We stood in a line, Hugh grumbling a little to Rosa's left, while I was on her right. She reached out and took both our hands unexpectedly - I almost recoiled, and I felt a little heat suddenly coming off my face, despite the cool weather.

Just like that, we took our first steps into the tall grass. Surprisingly, Rosa had her eyes closed, as though in a meditative thought process. Hugh shrugged, but was half-smiling. I couldn't help but feel a door open up, metaphorically.

I was free.

My journey began like that, with it's own set of strange friends, obstacles and events. The grass felt soft But somehow, we made it through that first patch of thick, tall grass, as high as our waists, without encountering a single Pokemon. Rosa opened her eyes and smiled at me.

"Looks like we made it…"

"Uhm…" I stared. "That was very nice but… Where is Hugh?"

Rosa's head swung the other way, her hair flicking and almost hitting me in the face. Just as I'd already seen, Hugh was not on Rosa's left.

"Snivy, Tackle, dammit!"

Hugh was already in a wild pokemon fight, some 3 or so metres behind us, fighting what looked like a chipmunk with fiery, alert eyes.

Rosa giggled, then ran off faster than I could have imagined; which was pretty fast, seeing as I'd known how fast she had run before. "Last one to Floccesy town is a slowpoke!"

"...So what happened to enjoying the adventure?" I muttered aloud, but chuckled anyway and set off after her at a more leisurely pace.

Not the most impactful of beginnings. But hey, it was mine.

**T/N:** **Here we go, the adventure is finally on the way! For the record, I've already planned ahead to decide teams, who wins what, who gets to see what events and all that, so thanks for the feedback, but I got it, it's cool.**

**So clearly, there are a couple of impatient people, waiting for me to update the chapters. I just wanna say, I'm a writer that works at my own pace, I have a life, exams, dozens of essays and you pressuring me is not going to help.**

**Okay, now let's get to the beef of this T/N, the review reply corner!**

**DestinyLegend04 - Well, you wouldn't want me to give all the pokemon spoilers away now, would you? o.o However, all that I CAN give away is that I like riolu a lot. :D**

**Water - Okay, you have a lot of reviews… Let's address these one by one. I didn't mess up the timings, you've just got to think a little bit more. Yes, there is a ten hour difference between 6am and 4pm. However, you're thinking of the 4pm as being the forward timing. What if I told you to go from 4pm to 6am by only going forwards in time? Yep, 14 hours. I know my USA - Japan timings! xD Second, that sucks… I always thought it was Purrlion, not Purrloin… Well, I'll remember that from now on! Last review, Yuki isn't in on this with me currently, but she'll probably jump on me and hit me until I bleed if I don't let her do the fluff scenes - that is, if there are fluff scenes. OKAY done :3**

**Naruto4Evar - Thank you! I hope I don't disappoint!**

**A lot of you really seem to dig this idea, and I'm really glad. This is from my own experience, because I moved from Japan when I was 10, and that was really tough. Some of this will reference that, and I feel it's a good thing that I'm writing from experience! So! That'll be all for now. No musical recommendation this time, though by all means, listen to your own music while reading! I love doing that, personally.**

**Well, I've branched out a bit. Follow my twitter page for updates of when I upload chapters! (It's on my Author page.) If you have any questions about me, my stories, or hell even my life, feel free to PM, or leave it in the review section!**

**Tensei out!**


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